New express bus links eastern Costa del Sol with Malaga city in bid to reduce commuting time
The service is already operating during the rush hour and the vehicles will return empty along the A-7 motorway, allowing them to be available again more quickly
Traffic has increased by 20,000 cars a day on the access roads between Rincón de la Victoria on the eastern Costa del Sol and Malaga city since the completion of the Ronda Este-Rincón ring road.
While Spain's Ministry of Transport is looking into alternatives to improve transport between the two municipalities, a new express circular bus service has started and is operating during rush hour between the two municipalities, passing through the El Palo district of Malaga city.
Route
The buses leave from Rincón de la Victoria, passing through La Cala del Moral and will end at Calle Villafuerte in El Palo (next to Las Angustias church), between 6.55am and 1.05pm, from Monday to Friday.
The new line will be express, with no intermediate stops at La Araña or at the El Candado petrol station, which will reduce journey times for commuters travelling from Rincón to the eastern part of Málaga at peak times.
Empty return journey on the A-7
The buses will return empty on the A-7 motorway, which will allow them to be available again in Rincón de la Victoria more quickly. The return journey has to be on other lines because the idea is to arrive in Malaga at rush hour and from there look for connections with other means of transport.
Salado welcomes the measure
The mayor of Rincón de la Victoria, Francisco Salado, has valued the measure: "This new express line model is in line with a more efficient transport strategy, avoids traffic congestion, reduces unnecessary emissions and adapts supply to real demand, optimising public resources and improving the quality of the service for users".
The needs analysis carried out over several weeks showed that there is a high demand for passengers from Rincón to Malaga between 7am and 10am especially those travelling to the eastern area (El Palo), where a large number of passengers on the M160 line alight.
Pilot test extendable to the afternoon
"If the pilot test of the circular line in the morning is well received and has positive results, Rincón de la Victoria town hall will ask the CTMAM to activate an express line in the afternoon, leaving from Calle Bolivia (El Palo) towards Rincón de la Victoria, replicating the model of returning along the A-7 motorway empty," according to the town hall.
Bus statistics
According to statistics, the number of passengers between Malaga and El Rincón in 2024 was just under two million. The current lines between the two municipalities are: M-160 Málaga-Rincón de la Victoria-Cotomar; M-161 Málaga-Totalán; M-163 Málaga-Rincón de la Victoria-Los Rubios; M-168 Málaga-Rincón de la Victoria-Cotomar (Búho); M-260 Málaga-Vélez Málaga (via Torre de Benagalbón); M-262 Rincón de la Victoria-Benagalbón-Moclinejo-El Valdés; M-362 Málaga-Nerja (via Torre de Benagalbón), and M-363 Málaga-Torrox (via Torre de Benagalbón).
Traffic congestion data
The 2024 annual report of the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) put figures on the traffic congestion problems. The infrastructure between the Ronda Este and the neighbouring municipality was inaugurated in 2003 as a great alternative to the traffic jams at the time of the La Araña curve (the Ronda Este in the capital was later extended to three lanes). In this time, cars have shot up by 34 per cent, but the alternatives are poor.
The solution to the problem of the eastern access road is a long time coming. It was not until May last year that the Ministry of Transport awarded the contract for the study of alternatives to the consultancy firm Ayesa. On the table were the widening of the road, a bus-VAO lane, a BRT ('bus rapid transit') or even a new dual carriageway.
The Junta de Andalucía will also analyse the feasibility of taking the metro to the east or an extension to the north (Ciudad Jardín) or to the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía.
